Cup Karts North America is about to host Grand Nationals 8, welcoming over 600 entries (Photo: Rocket Gear Media)

It’s hard to discount the stability that major events provide to our sport. Over the last 68 years, long-running national races have brought our community together like no other.  The United States is massive in terms of geography, but even so, major annual events have always been able to attract racers from coast-to-coast, and all four corners of the country. In the early years, from the 1960s through to the 1990s, long-tenured events like the IKF Grand Nationals and WKA Daytona KartWeek provided cornerstone bricks in the foundation of American karting. In 1997, Superkarts! USA held their inaugural SuperNationals in Las Vegas and it quickly became THE race in the country, and will celebrate its 27th edition in November. Races with this level of prestige and staying power are massively important for the industry, which needs races to move money through the system. Karting may be a sport to most, but it’s also a massive industry supporting businesses and countless people.

SKUSA SuperNationals continues to be a pinnacle event for North America and the world (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

For many of the teams that attend the SKUSA SuperNationals each year, it’s likely the biggest revenue generator of the year, and it comes right when it’s needed; in the lull between the end of one summer season and the start of the next run of winter series events. It’s crucial event that produced an influx of cashflow that keeps the sport rolling into the new year. I’ve had the privilege of being part of the announcing team for every SKUSA SuperNationals, handling the position solo for a majority of those years. In 2023, on the urging of my right-hand man David Cole, I decided to participate in the event to cross it off my competition bucket list. It was one of the coolest experiences of my personal racing career, but more importantly, that week in Las Vegas expanded my view of the event and it also makes it easy for me to recommend to every driver in the sport to try the SuperNationals at least once in your career. It was simply amazing.

I feel the same way about the Cup Karts North America Grand Nationals, which has now taken up the position as THE marquee race for four-cycle competition. I first attended the third edition of the event in 2019 and I’ve written (Being Part of Something Special) about the fact that being there for that race felt very similar to the first couple of SuperNationals in the late 90s. Everyone in the paddock knew and could feel that they were part of something special, something that was going to absolutely explode. The fact that this year’s CKNA Grands has already topped 600 pre-entries and has capped several classes is truly amazing. Again, another major event that is providing excitement for the community and stability for the industry. The sheer number of American-made karts at the Grands is unparalleled and is proof of the race’s effect on the sport. For those in the four-cycle business, the CKNA Grand Nationals is similar to the SuperNationals. It’s the best race that helps bring in much-needed revenue. Engines are freshened, new chassis are rolled out, and mechanics have another race to pocket their daily rates. Big races help make the wheel go round.

IAME USA Grand National Championship is backing a staple event (Photo: Kart Chaser)

The IAME USA Grand National Championship at Trackhouse Motorplex on the Labor Day weekend has developed a huge following in less than a handful of years, and it’s only going to continue to grow deeper and deeper roots. The event features a unique format, different layouts, and a big purse, which has proven to attract all the top-single speed drivers in the sport, not to mention all the major national teams. It’s become a major national event and shows no signs of letting up.

The stand-alone major events in our sport are crucial, as are the major national and regional programs that are packing paddocks around the country. The SKUSA Pro Tour, United States Pro Kart Series, and the Stars Championship Series all drew over 200 entries for all of their events in 2024, and this level of participation supports so many levels of our industry throughout the season. Big events like those in these premier series help move money through the sport and they support those who make a living in karting. Major events like the SKUSA SuperNats, CKNA Grand Nationals, and IAME Grand Nationals Championship, and the top series mentioned above, require a whole host of full-time employees like mechanics and coaches. These programs burn through consumables like tires, fuel, and oil, and they’re responsible for a constant flow of product sales of karts and parts. For a sport to be vibrant, and to have experts making a living in the community, they must be able to make an honest living doing what they love, supporting us while we do what we love.

Major races and major series, although only attended by a small minority of the community (likely between 5% and 10%), account for a disproportionate percentage of the overall sales and, in reality, this is a huge positive. I speak non-stop about how club racing is the foundation of karting in the United States, and this is certainly the truth, but when it comes does to the economics of the business, we’re lucky to have a thriving national level as it plays a key role in stabilizing the entire industry.

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